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NUTRITION ASSISTANCE FOR SENIORS

Putting Enough Good Food on The Table

Pamela B. Smith, Director, County's Aging & Independence Services

Have you heard the phrase“food insecurity”? Imagine

worrying about whether your food will run out before you

get money to buy more. You skip some meals to stretch

dollars until the next Social Security check. What you

choose to eat often depends more on the cost than on

having a balanced diet. You pray that there are no unexpected expenses this

month. That’s food insecurity.

In San Diego County, about 10 percent of older adults live at the poverty level or below, and many seniors who are over the poverty level also have trouble covering their food costs, particularly with the high cost of living in our county.

Having a fixed, low income is not the only reason for an older adult to be food insecure. Some older adults have other problems that prevent them from getting proper nutrition, such as physical challenges that make fixing meals difficult, having painful teeth, taking medications that impact their appetite and ability to taste, being depressed or confused, or just being isolated.

What hunger/near hunger costs in terms of quality of life for these seniors, it also costs the community in health care dollars since people who eat poorly are more susceptible to illnesses. Food insecurity among older adults is particularly worrisome because they have unique nutritional needs and they may require special diets for medical conditions. Poor nutrition increases the chance that a senior cannot maintain an independent lifestyle.

The County of San Diego seeks to aid these seniors in a number of ways. The County’s Aging & Independence Services contracts with 24 nutrition sites to provide lunchtime meals in congregate settings and also home-delivered meals to those who are home bound. These nutritionally balanced meals are provided on a donation basis, so the cost is affordable to those who are struggling financially. No senior is turned away for an inability to pay. And several of the sites assist with transportation.

Many of the congregate meal sites have space for more older adults than they are currently serving, so adults 60 and older are invited to join and enjoy the food. Several sites also have activities before and/or after lunch. To locate a convenient nutrition site or to request home-delivered meals, contact the AIS Call Center at (800) 510-2020.

Seniors who are registered at one of the nutrition sites are also eligible once a year for a free Farmer’s Market coupon book that provides $20 worth of vouchers for fresh food at selected Farmer’s Market sites. Supplies of the books are limited; seniors should ask at the nutrition site they attend.

The state provides our County with some limited funding for the Brown Bag Program, which provides surplus edible fruits, vegetables and other food products to low-income older adults. The food is not intended to meet all the nutritional needs of seniors, but to help supplement their diets. For more information on the Brown Bag Program, call (858) 527-1419.

On 2006, Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Horn was a founding sponsor for a new supplemental food program, called The Angel’s Depot. AIS also contributed to the start up of this program. The goal of this nonprofit organization is to distribute nutritionally balanced, nonperishable “Senior Food-for-a-Week” boxes through various charities and senior centers. The group plans to provide 20,000 food boxes during this first year. For more information, see www.theangelsdepot.org or call (760) 599-7093.

A group of RSVP volunteers, called the Senior Gleaners, also regularly provides boxes of food for seniors that are distributed through charities. The volunteers “glean” food from grocery stores, and even pick fruit from local trees with permission of the owners. For more information about the Senior Gleaners, see www.seniorgleaners.com or call (619) 582-2299.

One underutilized cost-saving, County-coordinated program that can benefit seniors is Food Stamps, which is available to persons with low, fixed incomes and limited assets if they do not receive SSI/SSP. For those who live alone, the gross monthly income can be as high as $1,037; or for two people in a household, the gross monthly income can be $1,390. Single households can receive up to $152 worth of food a month; or $278 a month for two people. This can be a significant financial boost to older adults who are food insecure. Food Stamps are no longer stamps, but an “Advantage card,” resembling an ATM card. For more information about Food Stamps, call toll-free: (866) 262-9881.